Melody
Apr 13th 2007, 01:24 PM
Meat Houdini the Zebra Loach....
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-ZebraLoach-4.jpg
It all started a couple of years ago now I suppose. I bought some Zebra Loaches (Botia striata) to join the YoYo Loaches. They were rarely seen at the time and not exactly common now. I bought three or four, and put one in a 33G temporarily to clean up some pest snails.
As the good snail operation expanded, so did my need for tank space. I started using the 33G for snails but couldn't catch the Loach. Several times I thought he was dead because I hadn't seen him for months, but then I'd spot him, eating like nothing had happened.
Then the good snail operation expanded again and I had to get rid of the Loaches in the 90G. I gave the lot of 'em to Mr. Mykiss, but couldn't find that Loach in the 33G. On the rare occasion that I'd spot him, I'd try to catch him and give up.
When it came time to tear down the 33G and disinfect it due to a nice superbug that a store sent me, I netted the few fish that were left and put them in a 10G quarantine tank. I hadn't seen the Zebra Loach in months and completely forgot about him possibly being in there somewhere. I got all of the fish out and drained the tank down to below the gravel & sat down to take a break before moving it, since that was also on the agenda.
When I went to move the tank close to an hour later, there was this pathetic Loach, flopping in a wet dent in the gravel. I scooped him out and into the 10G he went.
I never saw him again & figured the accident had killed him. I've been meaning to take the 10G q-tank down for quite some time now and had long ago taken out the fish and turned off the filter. There it sat with water in it, surprisingly not smelly enough to get my attention and of course, I wasn't putting food in. It was one of those things a person keeps meaning to do...
This morning I decided it had to be done. I took all of the Tufa Rock and shells out and put them into an icecream bucket to be disinfected later, then drained the tank & cleaned it. An hour or so later, I take a break. I had placed the bucket on a table beside me and kept hearing sounds but thought it was the coral substrate drying and falling. Then I heard a distinctive flopping sound. You guessed it, there was that elusive Zebra Loach, flopping in less than a quarter inch of water. I guess he had been hiding in a shell.:rolleyes:
He is now in a bare bottom tank so he can't hide on me (I think). He's going up for sale. I'd like to keep him since he's survived so much with me, but he really should be with more of his own kind. I'll be posting him in the Classifieds directly, but I thought I'd share his story first. :smile:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-ZebraLoach-4.jpg
It all started a couple of years ago now I suppose. I bought some Zebra Loaches (Botia striata) to join the YoYo Loaches. They were rarely seen at the time and not exactly common now. I bought three or four, and put one in a 33G temporarily to clean up some pest snails.
As the good snail operation expanded, so did my need for tank space. I started using the 33G for snails but couldn't catch the Loach. Several times I thought he was dead because I hadn't seen him for months, but then I'd spot him, eating like nothing had happened.
Then the good snail operation expanded again and I had to get rid of the Loaches in the 90G. I gave the lot of 'em to Mr. Mykiss, but couldn't find that Loach in the 33G. On the rare occasion that I'd spot him, I'd try to catch him and give up.
When it came time to tear down the 33G and disinfect it due to a nice superbug that a store sent me, I netted the few fish that were left and put them in a 10G quarantine tank. I hadn't seen the Zebra Loach in months and completely forgot about him possibly being in there somewhere. I got all of the fish out and drained the tank down to below the gravel & sat down to take a break before moving it, since that was also on the agenda.
When I went to move the tank close to an hour later, there was this pathetic Loach, flopping in a wet dent in the gravel. I scooped him out and into the 10G he went.
I never saw him again & figured the accident had killed him. I've been meaning to take the 10G q-tank down for quite some time now and had long ago taken out the fish and turned off the filter. There it sat with water in it, surprisingly not smelly enough to get my attention and of course, I wasn't putting food in. It was one of those things a person keeps meaning to do...
This morning I decided it had to be done. I took all of the Tufa Rock and shells out and put them into an icecream bucket to be disinfected later, then drained the tank & cleaned it. An hour or so later, I take a break. I had placed the bucket on a table beside me and kept hearing sounds but thought it was the coral substrate drying and falling. Then I heard a distinctive flopping sound. You guessed it, there was that elusive Zebra Loach, flopping in less than a quarter inch of water. I guess he had been hiding in a shell.:rolleyes:
He is now in a bare bottom tank so he can't hide on me (I think). He's going up for sale. I'd like to keep him since he's survived so much with me, but he really should be with more of his own kind. I'll be posting him in the Classifieds directly, but I thought I'd share his story first. :smile: